Iranian media reported on Saturday that a girl was killed and at least 14 people were wounded in an explosion in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, apparently in or near an eight-story residential building. Five additional people were reported killed in a separate blast at a residential complex in the city of Ahvaz in southwestern Iran.
Iranian outlets said the explosions were likely caused by gas leaks, amid heightened regional tensions and speculation about a possible U.S. strike on Iran. An Israeli official told the ynet that Israel was not aware of any connection between the explosions and Israel.
Iran: 6 killed in explosions in Bandar Abbas and near Iraq border; Israel denies link
The circumstances surrounding the incidents remain unclear. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency denied social media reports claiming that the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, Alireza Tangsiri, was killed in Bandar Abbas. Some Iranian media outlets reiterated that the blasts appeared to be gas explosions.
According to reports in Iran, four people were killed in the explosion in Ahvaz, which is located near the Iraqi border. Iran’s official IRNA news agency said several wounded were evacuated from the scene in Bandar Abbas, where the blast caused the collapse of two floors of the building and damage to vehicles and nearby businesses.
Shortly after the initial reports, an unverified claim emerged of a third explosion in Parand, in Tehran province, but the report was later denied by Iran’s official media. Minutes later, the opposition-linked outlet Iran International reported additional explosions in Ardabil, Tabriz and Saveh, though those reports were also denied by state media.
The IRGC Navy’s public relations department denied reports of a drone attack targeting its headquarters in Hormozgan province, where Bandar Abbas is located. In a statement, it said no building linked to the force was damaged, adding that reports circulating on the matter were unreliable and urging the public to rely only on official sources.
Bandar Abbas is located on the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz, at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, a strategic chokepoint through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil shipments pass. The Shahid Rajaee port, located in the city, is Iran’s largest commercial port, handling about 70 percent of the country’s cargo, or roughly 80 million tons annually.
The port also includes oil and petrochemical facilities, as well as installations belonging to the IRGC Navy. In 2020, the port was hit by a cyberattack that severely disrupted operations. At the time, The Washington Post reported that Israel was behind the incident.
First published: 15:01, 01.31.26